Public Garden Career Center - View Internship

New England Wild Flower Society offers internships and fellowships in horticulture and conservation. Applications for 2013 are due in February, 2013.

The mission of New England Wild Flower Society is to conserve and promote the region’s native plants to ensure healthy, biologically diverse landscapes. Founded in 1900, the Society is the nation’s oldest plant conservation organization and a recognized leader in native plant conservation, horticulture, and education. The Society’s headquarters, Garden in the Woods, is a renowned native plant botanic garden in Framingham, Massachusetts, that attracts visitors from all over the world. From this base, 35 staff and more than 700 volunteers work throughout New England to monitor and protect rare and endangered plants, collect and preserve seeds to ensure biological diversity, detect and control invasive species, conduct research, and offer a range of educational programs. The Society also operates a native plant nursery at Nasami Farm in western Massachusetts and has eight sanctuaries in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont that are open to the public.

Description

New England Wild Flower Society seeks one intern for the native plant, retail nursery sales area at Garden in the Woods. This unique opportunity will provide a venue for native plant studies, coupled with hands-on experience in a retail nursery. The candidate will assist in many operations including plant care, maintaining product lines, assisting with and managing deliveries, and providing public information through excellent customer service. This position will also involve opportunities to learn horticultural maintenance of on-site stock beds, assisting Garden Shop/Visitors Services staff, planning and leading projects, writing articles, and managing volunteers. This intern will be given the chance to learn about native plant propagation, participate in educational classes and courses, attend field trips, and network with professionals. This is a great opportunity for individuals looking to manage retail nursery operations, become a production grower, and get practical gardening experience.

Skills

The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent communication skills, have a strong desire to learn and enjoy working with customers. As well, the candidate must have some botanical interest and understanding and a basic familiarity with horticultural practices.

Details

Internship: full-time, six-month position that starts in early April and ends in the end of October, with agreed-upon time off in mid-July through the end of August.

Stipend: $240.00/week + $100.00/ week housing stipend. NO housing is provided. The work schedule will rotate with weekend and holiday hours to be expected.

Benefits

Interns at New England Wild Flower Society may take advantage of a wide range of optional education classes and courses, educational field trips and have access to and involvement with top conservationists and native plant horticulturists.